


RIPPILING STARLIGHT

by Rainingsun02811



Series: Ripples AU [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Bro's For Life, Bro Squad of Bad Ideas, Creche Master Azranna (OC), F/M, Force Visions, Master Azranna is the best, Multi, Obi-Wan and Quinlan are BBFL, Pre-Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, This is very close to my heart, WILL WE EVER FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED BEHIND THE DUMPSTER ON THE LOWER LEVELS?, almost time travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2019-03-25
Packaged: 2019-03-31 03:10:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13966098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainingsun02811/pseuds/Rainingsun02811
Summary: In which Obi-Wan is thrown into the past... Kind of, almost, not really, and the entire galaxy changes.





	1. REVELATIONS

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter of another fic that has been bouncing around my brain for a while! No worries Entropy will be updating soon!

    All Ben Kenobi saw was starlight, and he felt as if he was everywhere and nowhere at once.  All he knew was the force and it’s hard earned balance by Luke and his sheer compassion for his father, _Anakin,_ and Leia’s drive to save the galaxy at the cost of herself.  What he had not expected was to feel his presence being pulled to somewhere.   _No, that’s not right,_ he thought, _sometime but then again aren’t distance and time relative?_  His surroundings rippled creating the illusion that a still pond had been touched as he headed towards the pull, he was old yet young, naïve yet knowledgeable, a master yet still an apprentice and as he headed towards it these contradictions increased.

    The closer he got towards this pull, the more conflict and pain he felt.   _How am I in pain when I’m one with the force?_ He thought.  No pain did not describe it, it was too simple of  a word, it felt like he was being ripped apart and drowned under the waves created.  The waves increased rapidly creating an audible ringing in the force that almost took him to his knees, there were whispers all beckoning him closer.

    He felt himself become more and more weighted, more separated, more whole, like flying too close to the a black hole.  Time and space warped the further he went on when he finally reached the edge of the well in the force. _Closer, closer, closer, farther down, we need you._ The voices chanted

    “It has been a long time old friend.”  Said a voice, low in timber and very, _very_ familiar.

    “Master!” Ben said his voice young yet old stained with a tinge of worry.  “What is this place? It feels strange.” His body and mind felt very much the same, physically he was young 25 at the oldest and his heart carried the weight of a thousand lifetimes.  His hair no longer white but the rich auburn it had been. His robes were new, and his scars seemed to have disappeared. The voices changed. _Choose, young one. Choose, choose, choose._

    “A singularity,” Qui-Gon’s disembodied voice said.  “You stand at the cusp of a great change in the galaxy, Padawan.”  His voice was warm and also dripping with warning.

    “What do you mean master?  I don’t understand,” Ben, no Obi-Wan, questioned.  His eyes crinkled around the edges as he tried to make sense of anything going on.  His mind was on fire.

    “Time is a fickle thing Obi-Wan, so easily changed.”  His former master had a smile in his voice. He motioned towards the black abyss he hovered on the edge of.  

    The fire in his mind dimmed slightly, but only for a second.  Then it dawned on him, “You mean that this singularity allows _time travel?_ ”

    A warm hand touched his arm, and there Qui-Gon Jinn was just as Obi-Wan remembered,  “Of a sort, your younger self will receive visions of this future, of what you currently know and beyond.  If you go I will not be able to help you. The timelines will have diverged to much, a new branch will have been created.”  His voice was soft yet urgent. He could stop the Empire from Rising, he could save Satine, _oh Satine I’m so sorry._  He could save Ashoka.  He could save Anakin! _I could save my him, I could save my Padawan!_ His thoughts came to a halt, _No, I could save my son, my brother._  His mind turned towards the twins. _I could give the twins their father._  Obi-Wan’s grey eyes turned to steel.   _I could stop the Emperor._

    “I’ll go” The burning increased to an explosion and agony as he felt bonds break from his world and the delicate strings reattach to whatever, _whenever and whomever_ he corrected himself, was at the bottom.

    “You will be alone, but there are those who can help you Obi-Wan be careful of whom you trust.  Now go time runs short. Remember not all changes are for the greater good.” Qui-Gon’s voice faded and Obi-Wan Kenobi stepped into the abyss setting the heavens alight and the force into turmoil.

* * *

 

    Obi-Wan Kenobi wretched, _Karking Sith Hells I hate visions,_ he thought.  Normally he only got vague feelings that curdled in his gut and then sank with uncertainty.  Or, he saw snippets in dreams, most of which never came true, but never when he meditating. Even so, they never lasted for three hours.  His master’s words rang in his ears-- _focus on the here and now, Padawan._

    As soon as the words came to mind, the man himself rushed into the room, brown robes flowing behind him Obi-Wan’s shields were tight, “Obi-Wan, what happened? I felt your distress across the temple,” he said.  Obi-Wan stopped heaving for just long enough to croak out something about a bad vision before it played in his mind once more. A looming darkness that consumes everything, a war fought with millions of one face, the temple in ruin, younglings slaughtered _\--sweet force not the younglings--_ an entire planet blotting out of existence, and it didn’t end there he sensed. He could feel another vision coming this one was of a boy with ancient eyes who was pushed to the darkside, natural fissures in his mind being artificially widened, feelings of abandonment and anger, another temple burning as that same boy wept, and then an awakening but at the consequence of an entire system blotting out of existence.  And, all of was his fault for not following that karking pull to the outer rim until it was too late. His breathing was coming out in short puffs, and he couldn’t seem to get a handle on it.

    The Force seemed to cool soothingly around him, his skin was slick with sweat and all layers but his baggy pants discarded around the room.   _It’s not that simple, can you see?  Through the confusion, the fog?_ The force whispered, and so he looked closer.

    _It wasn’t just me it was everyone in the order,_ he realized.   _Why show me now?  Why show me at all, this could never come to pass like every other vision._ He wretched again all that came up was yellow bile.  Qui-Gon rubbed his back in circles like he did when he was younger and kept his braid out of the way.  Obi-Wan whimpered.

    The force whispered again, _because it’s almost too late again._

_What do you mean again?_ He asked but the cool presence vanished, and his shields naturally tightened ever so slightly.  His head pulsed. Qui-Gon frowned at the turmoil he felt inside his apprentice.

    “Dreams pass in time Padawan,” said Qui-Gon his voice low in timbre and soft in pitch as he stood up.  “Clean up and we’ll talk when you come out.” Obi-Wan stiffened, but forced himself to nod causing a wave of dizziness to wash over him.  He rested his head on the cool white porcelain and he flushed. His teeth ground together, _flippant as per usual._

     He was only 22 and it didn’t help that their last mission was taxing to say the least.  A year straight on Mandalore, bouncing between planets, running from bounty hunters, and protecting Duchess Satine Kryze from almost every threat imaginable had weathered his resolve.  He had grown close with the Duchess, at first it was only because of duty, after a time he found himself invested in her with the steady thrum of friendship between them, and then (he couldn’t pinpoint when to be honest) he realized he was enamored with her very being.  A small durasteel string connected them together, and it still did. Only now it was tucked away behind his heart.

 _Satine, I wish you were here._  He thought and found himself reaching for her blindingly bright presence only to find nothing nearby.  They had parted on an unspoken mutual agreement that tore his heart to shreds and sent pain throughout his chest.  That feeling combined with the mental agony that the vision brought hot tears to his eyes as he stripped and stepped in, his tears and the water were  indistinguishable as he gasped for air between sobs. The only solace when they parted was that she kept the Kyber from his lightsaber.

     On their mission he taught her how to use his lightsaber, _just in case anything happened_ , he thought, _and it wasn’t because I needed an excuse to touch her._  He remembered his body slick with sweat, and her breath coming out in pants her pale skin flushed as she moved.  He focused on form 3 named Soresu because it was defensive in nature. Once her slender, pale hands touched his ‘saber he knew the crystal, and his heart for quite some time then, were no longer his.   So, he took out the crystal as a final goodbye and gave it to her.

     Forcing himself to the present, he took a shuddering breath and checked his shields one last time, thankfully they were still up.   _I guess it’s good for something,_ he thought.  His gut curdled at the thought of letting his master see into his heart, to see the visions, he never liked being probed by the council or healers of any kind.   His pain was his alone and that was that. He kept his heart break silent since they left Mandalore a little more than a month ago and refused to show it now. His love for her was hers to see and no one else.  He dreaded facing his master about it and seeing that disappointed frown on his face; also, he dreaded his master’s flippant answer and that he should ignore the vision in favor of the present.

    He didn’t want his master to see the carefully constructed shields around his heart meant to deflect attention and realise how close he came to leaving the order.  How closely he had come to chucking his ‘saber to the side and giving up on everything he knew. How badly he missed the clean misty air of Kalevala, or how he craved the infinite desert of Stewjon and the legends of gigantic creatures that lived in the deepest parts of the sands.  How after that vision all he wanted to do scream and do the exact same thing he had been tempted to do on Mandalore.

    He shoved it all down, behind those carefully crafted shields after the water went cold.

    Static filled his mind as he finally started to wash and get out.   _You know what to do young one,_  the force whispered _, don’t be afraid of the uncertain_.  He needed to talk too Qui-Gon first, go to the archives, and find out where he needed to go.  He passed through the white walls of the refresher and into his room, and mechanically got dressed.  He ran a shaking hand through his copper hair.

    His master had tea already prepared at the dining table, his eyebrows were knitted together and concern flooded their bond his face was hard.  “A vision caused that disturbance?” asked Qui-Gon as Obi-Wan clutched his tea. He nodded mutely, his mind still full of static as his shields grew tighter.  Warmth brushed over his mind and the static cleared all at once. “Show me young one, we can work through this together.” It wasn’t a request despite the soft tone used.

    Obi-Wan was about to lower them when a knock came to the door, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan recognized the presence at the door, _Master Yoda_ Obi-Wan thought, his body relaxed.

     “Felt a disturbance in the force, I did originating from Padawan Kenobi.  Alarming it was to feel such pain.” Yoda said walking over to the padawan, “Force led me here, it did.  Needed it said I was,” he placed a warm hand on Obi-Wan’s face. Everything threatened to come up all at once, his shields cracked. _Don’t cry, don’t cry._  Unlike the inside of his mind however, his face was a mask of perfect Jedi calm.

     Qui-Gon nodded.  “You’re much better than I am at handling these visions my old friend,” he said motioning towards his apprentice, “Apparently he had a vision and a rough one at that.  I just sat down to talk to him.”

     “Lower your shields you must Padawan,” Yoda said.  Obi-Wan’s shields shivered, _not in front of Master Yoda, why him?_

     The comforting presence was now back, and this time it was warm.   _You know why.  For all his faults, he’s still compassionate._

     Obi-Wan sipped his tea and somehow, by some sort of miracle, only let those horrific burning visions come to the surface.

 


	2. CHAPTER 2: QUESTIONING

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Give Me the burden, give me the blame  
> I’ll shoulder the load, and I’ll swallow the shame  
> Give me the burden, give me the blame  
> How many, how many Hail Mary’s is it gonna take?”  
> \- The Civil Wars “Devil’s Backbone”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I FINALLY UPDATED THIS, I'M NOT DEAD! Anyway, please enjoy!

Yoda was stunned, that much Obi-Wan could tell, another emotion flickered across his face.  _Was he angry?  No, he’s Master Yoda, stupid question._   He thought. _Contemplating how best to lock me up for heresy possibly?_   The possibility made him still completely.  _No, they stopped doing that 5000 years ago._   He forced his face to stay blank, schooled his presence behind carefully constructed shields, and retreated from Master Yoda’s mind.  The static returned as the two masters stared him down, both master’s hushed murmuring fading into the static.

The force wasn’t churning anymore, and instead of drowning in a vast ocean's Riptide, gentle waves washed over him, like the lapping of a pond.  _It’s my fault he turned, that those younglings died isn’t it?_ He thought as tears burned his eyes.

 _You had your part to play young one, but he made his choice, even if he was manipulated._ The force replied.  It whispered as a mother would to a scared child.  He could feel it smooth his proverbial fur down slightly.

 _No vision is permanent,_ he thought, _none are set in stone you’ve learned this the hard way before, so no need to learn it twice._ The ginger male thought, his molars grinding.  _Impermanence is a part of life, all things are transient even the now._   He took a ragged breath, heart hammering in his chest, and recited the Mando’a alphabet backward.  _Thank the force for shielding._ His chest still felt like it was in a vice, his head was pounding, and he just wanted to sleep, to escape, to feel the relief of total unconsciousness, a feeling he rarely got without Satine nearby.  His face fell into his hands.

Her presence was bright and hot, flaming, even burning in its intensity, yet soothing in its intensity.  It was a contradiction he was addicted to, the way it changed with her whim and how it always grounded him to the present.  He wanted to comm her so bad it hurt, to release and feel his emotions in all their intensity, to feel the living force flow through him, and to hear the sweet croon of Mando’a in his ears.  He wanted to reply with endearments he learned on Stewjon, as he had on their wedding night.  _Of course, it’s not valid in the Republic at large,_ he thought, _but at least it counts there._   He rubbed his chest absently feeling for the ring she gave him, it was a plain gold ring on a slim silver chain that hung to the middle of his chest.  He felt for it through his tunic, feeling its weight comfortably sitting on his chest, the pounding of his veins lessened.  The steady hum in his ears faded as he slowly came back out from himself.

Obi-Wan peaked through his fingers.  He saw a brief shimmer in the diminutive master’s eyes as his ears flattened in concern.  _Were those tears?_   He thought, _did he hear that?_ He checked his shields, and let his shoulders relax slightly.  _I knew I retracted from his mind._   There were cracks sure, but nothing that wouldn’t be overlooked and thought to be because of inexperience.  _It’s not like they haven’t been before._  A calming breeze came over Obi-Wan’s mind from his closed-off training bond.  He lifted his head and looked towards Qui-Gon who offered a small smile in response, his eyebrows knitted in concern.

“Quite the burden placed on you, there has been.  Meditate on this you must and excused from your classes you are.  Also, stay with you I shall.”  Said Master Yoda, his tone final, green eyes piercing him.

 _Not more meditation,_ he internally groaned.  Normally it was an activity he found peace in, even enjoyed, but spending hours meditating and then spending a few more spewing because of it had killed any desire he had to meditate.  _Still, meditation sounds like hell,_ he thought.   _I could move through my forms, still my mind, it always helps when I’m anxious._   Something niggled at his mind with the thought, but he pushed it aside. “But my exams tomorrow!”  Obi-Wan said, his breath catching in his throat.  Mandalore had made him miss so much of his studies, semesters of hours he would have to make up, mountains of papers that had to be written, and exams that couldn’t be rescheduled.

“Have them rescheduled, I shall, your best, you would not do.  Traumatizing, that vision was.  Normal it was _not_ and address it we must after some tea.”  Yoda said, gesturing towards the kitchen, Obi-Wan moved to get up and settle into the familiar ritual when Qui-Gon’s firm hand stopped him from getting up, causing irritation to spread through him like wildfire.

“I'll make it Padawan," Qui-Gon said his voice rumbling out gently, “after what you have seen, you need to sit.”  Obi-Wan was silent, his normal protests fell onto his tongue tasting of ash as the scent of chav tea* filled the air. 

 _When did he get that?  Satine gave it to me._   He thought. _I hid it in the back of the cabinet.  That reminds me, I need a new Lightsaber, the casing buried in the Stewjon sands somewhere won’t do me any good._ “I lost my lightsaber while on our mission with Mandalore and need to replace it.”  The words felt like hot tar coming out of his mouth.  It wasn’t a complete lie, just a very loose interpretation of the word _lost_.  He grasped the tea for dear life, the hot tar spread down to his throat, into his stomach.  “I felt younglings be slaughtered,” his mind burned at the admission.  “I saw a war be fought entirely with one face and battle droids.  I felt the Republic and Jedi fall an infected darkness take over.  I fought a man I considered my son and left him to die.”  His blood rushed to his ears, nausea hit him like a space freighter.  “The Holy City of NiJedha was reduced to a wound in the force, Alderaan was obliterated, and blood fed the ground of planets instead of water. The pendulum of balance paused in the dark.”  He said, his tone grating with each word.  “When it began to move, and the source of the infection died, the black shroud over the force lifted, and for one glorious instance and there was no darkness to be seen, only light, and the pendulum stopped in the light that time.  But that's not balance is it?  Because while that warped darkness was gone, something else arose from the unknown regions to compensate, something ancient and _pure_ in its teachings of the darkness.”  His hands were shaking, his bloodshot eyes blurring with more tears as his stared into the honey-colored tea but forced himself to continue.  “And then there was a boy with ancient eyes, eyes that looked as if he had waited a thousand years for that _exact_ moment to appear, so strong, so vibrant, but so fragile in his internal balance.  Two of them, actually.  One I considered my son and the other I never knew.  Their eyes were different colors, but they held the same pain.”  His mask cracked and so did his voice, _I can still feel it,_ he thought.  “They were turned to the darkness by a slow abuse of their own tenuous balance.  All because I didn’t listen to that weird urge to go to the Outer Rim.  I know it wasn’t entirely my fault, but I failed _everyone_ I cared for.”  He took a deep breath, and slipped into Stewjon’s dialect of Mando’a on accident, almost shouting, _“I let everyone I love die because I couldn’t decide on when to follow the force!”_

Obi-Wan’s throat burned, tears poured down his face, and he made himself take another sip of his favorite tea.  Cracks is his shields more evident than ever.  They weren’t the cracks he normally placed to throw off others to his actual skill, they were deep aching fissures.  _At least the other ones are fine._ He thought.  “So, I would rather not sit and meditate, but if it’s what you require, then I humbly beseech you to reconsider.  Meditating is what caused this.

Qui-Gon and Yoda were speechless.  Whether they caught what that last sentence meant, he didn’t care.

“Rest young one” Yoda’s voice urged softly.  “Call the council, I must.  Discuss this later we shall, and decide what to do after, we will.”

Obi-Wan’s stomach dropped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chav Tea-- A tea found exclusively on Jedha


	3. CHAPTER 3: FROM A CERTAIN POINT OF VIEW

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Enter Quinlan Voss, trouble causer. Also, bad ideas everywhere.

Quinlan Voss was going to _strangle_ Obi-Wan Kenobi when he got back to Coruscant.  “You absolute _asshat_ , you got married, and you didn’t fucking invite me.  Am I or am I not your best friend?”  It was 3:42 am on his chrono, his eyes were burning.  _Obi-Wan commed at 2 in the morning and we’ve been talking for almost two hours._ He thought, _it’s_ _not like he sleeps much anyway, more correctly doesn’t get much meaningful sleep anyway, and I’m going to skin him_ alive _when I see him next._

Obi-Wan’s head hit his hand with an audible, dead thunk.  “Out of everything I’ve told you, that’s what you focus on?  Me not inviting you to my wedding on a mission where I had no way of securing any form of contact.  Not how everyone we know is killed in a bloody civil war engineered by the dark side.  Not that entire planets vanish, just the fact I got married in a ceremony not acknowledged anywhere but Stewjon.”

 _“_ Well yeah,” Quinlan said with a smirk.  “Now that you’ve seen that future it’s already changed, right?  All your actual visions let you change things, not just quietly observe like those vague feelings you get.  Besides, impermanence is a part of life, the now is fleeting, but the future even more so.  And, it’s like I’ve said before you should just follow that pull.  Sith spit I’ll even go with you, they can’t complain that you went without supervision since I’m knighted now.  I have faith in you dude, if anyone can change things, it’s you.”  He said. 

That made Obi-Wan pause, Quinlan could practically hear the gears turning in Obi-Wan’s head.

“Thank you, Quin,” Obi-Wan said, his voice was soft, almost inaudible.

Quinlan didn’t need color to see the bags under his best friend’s eyes, _my brother’s really,_ Quinlan thought, he could almost see the pressure that the council was going to place on Obi-Wan.  _Sweet force he needs some sleep, or to talk until he’s exhausted and then sleep.  Either one works._ Obi-Wan had explained what he saw with Quinlan’s soft encouragements here and there to keep going.  “Anytime Obes, now back to the point.  You got married _without me._  You’re not getting out of this, you’re having a second ceremony, so I can come and meet this Duchess Satine you have told me oh so much about.”

Obi-Wan sighed. “ _Fine.”_ He said, stiffening as a rustle was heard in the background. 

Quinlan went still as well, holding his breath, and not making a sound.  No one knew they were talking right now, and if he had to guess, Obi-Wan was somewhere in the meditation chambers, hidden and rarely used _besides_ Obi-Wan, near his and Qui-Gon’s apartment at the temple.

One heartbeat passed.

Then two.  Then Three.

The rustling stopped, and the ginger male continued, “anyway I think this pull is more of a who than a what, to be honest.”  Obi-Wan said his voice cracking from exhaustion.  “You know this has been going on for years now since I was sixteen maybe, and kriff I need to sleep, I have a council meeting later this morning.”  He rubbed his face, the holo flickered spreading blue light around the ship and then for the briefest second just the pale multicolored lights that surrounded Quinlan from the cockpit of the ship.

“Or,” Quinlan said a shit eating grin on his face, “You could not go and meet me in Master Azranna’s office, so we can get permission to search for this youngling of yours.  She’ll kick your ass for skipping out on the meeting, but she’ll understand why.”  He leaned back against the black pilot’s chair, grinning as he saw Obi-Wan pale slightly.

“Blow off a council meeting, are you insane?  Master Azranna will skin me alive if I show up to the crèche when I’m supposed to be with the council.  I like _living_ thank you!”  His voice was tight, a rightful fear of the crèche master who raised them both in his voice.

“Not if I get to Coruscant in the next two hours and we are assigned an emergency mission for the crèche that she feels only you and I can complete.”  _Come on Obes, just agree already, we both know you want too._   He thought.

Brown eyes met clear blue.

Obi-Wan stilled and let out a soft _huh,_ “I’ll head to the archives and find out where we need to go.”

 _Ha! And you say I’m not persuasive._ “I’ll be back and while you’re there, see if you can find the exchange rates for republic credits to spice.  Republic credits are useless out there.  Also, how long has it been since you slept, you look like you went to Malachor and back Obes.”  Quinlan could see Obi-Wan’s form slump.  _He’s sleeping on the way to where ever we’re going,_ he thought.  _I’ll have Master Azranna give us some of the special tea she uses.  I'm pretty sure that'll knock him out._

“Yesterday,” said Obi-Wan as he rubbed the back of his neck, his brown robe was discarded somewhere in the old meditation grounds, his cream under robes were gone, only leaving his pants with no shirt on.  His gold wedding ring showing on its silver chain, gleaming in the moonlight.  A hand ran through his ginger hair.

“Let me rephrase that when was the last time you had a decent night’s sleep?”  Quinlan’s mouth took a hard line.  His brown hair in braids that surrounded his face, casting a shadow to match the one growing over his friend’s mind.

Obi-Wan’s clear blue eyes widened, then shut as he rubbed his face again.  “Since we left Mandalore.”  He said, whispering.

“A _month?_   You haven’t really slept in almost a _month?”_ Said Quinlan.

“I did sleep, just not well.  There’s a difference.”  Obi-wan retorted rolling his eyes.

“No, there’s not you nerf herding sith spawn, I’m getting Master Azranna to give us some of that special tea she makes.  The one that knocks you out in 10 minutes flat and you’re going to drink it.” _That’s if I don’t smother you first you shit!_    Quinlan swore he saw Obi-Wan flinch.

“It’s not that bad,” he defended weakly.

 _Not that bad my ass._   Quinlan thought.“It’s almost 4:30 in the morning, your shirtless in a meditation room because your apartment is too stuffy, and the bags under your eyes are so bad I can see them on your comm, so yes, it is.  I’m getting the tea and you’re going to sleep on the way to whatever backwater dump of a planet we have to go to.  Or, I’m getting Bant to look you over and stick you in the healer’s ward.”

“Fine, Fine!  I’ll do it.” He whined, “why are you helping me anyway?”

“Remember the pact we made in the lower levels behind the dumpster a few years ago?  Ride or die Obes, _ride or die._ ”

A blush spread across Obi-Wan’s face, “ride or die Quin.  I’ll talk to you later, I’m going to put my robes back on and head to the archives.  Comm me when you get here.”

“Of course, I’ll see you in a bit.  May the force be with you”

“And you as well, Quin.”

The comm shut off with a _snap._   Leaving Quinlan alone with his thoughts.


	4. CHAPTER 4: MOTHER AZRANNA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where we learn more about this mysterious pull and finally meet Creche Master Azranna.

Obi-Wan's eyes burned as he stared into the map of known star systems in the outer rim.  The more he searched, the fewer answers he got.  _Why can’t the force be clear for once?  Oh, here’s where you need to go, no muss, no fuss, have an amazing day._   He pinched the bridge of his nose with his left hand, his right resting on the table.  _But no, it has to be vague a feeling that it might be in the Arkanis sector, and I’m not even sure that’s the force._   His brown outer robe was rumpled and his white underclothes weren't any better.  _I look how I feel I guess,_ he thought.  _Like I’ve been hit by a space freighter._

He plopped into the chair behind him, leaned his head back, and put his hands behind his head.  His legs were resting on the table as he tipped his chair back.  _Calm down, take a deep breath, and listen to the force._   He thought, remembering the way Master Azranna would run her pale fingers through his hair giving during restless meditations as a youngling.  Her voice almost lyrical,   _Let it act through you, let it connect you to the world, and feel the push and pull between all things._

He breathed in and just let himself feel that pull, the urge, the itch to go out to the outer rim as soon as possible.  He felt the push to gather information and slow down before rushing out, to sit and think.

It felt _alive_ , like the bond he felt with Satine and not the steady thrum he felt with Qui-Gon. 

Like a pulsing, little heartbeat.  Like a child’s heartbeat.

 _Ba-thump._   It twitched, and he let himself relax his shoulders.  He felt his heart slow down and the pitter-patter pulsing slow down to match.  He could feel himself sink deeper, his awareness slipping somewhere else, to someone else.

 _Ba-thump._ He felt the wind on his face, and something coarse and rough and _irritating._  A whisper came across the tenuous connection. 

_...Ugh, it's so icky, I hate sand…_

Obi-Wan almost choked, he let himself slip further down into _whatever_ this was.  He took a deep breath and loosened his jaw.  The hot sun beat down on him. Another deep breath.

 _Ba-thump._ His body melted like wax, his consciousness went into the force. Flashes of images reached his mind.  A blue-eyed boy, sands everywhere, and unlike Stewjon solid ground in some areas.  A singular desert flower but no water in sight, a vast canyon, and the bones of a Krayt Dragon. _Tatooine._

Obi-Wan's ass smacked the ground as him commlink went off and his chair tipped backward. His awareness coming back to him all at once.  _Kark that hurt!_   “Kenobi speaking.”

"I'm here, start heading to Master Azranna's office," Quinlan said, his voice rumbling.

“Alright,” Obi-Wan said rubbing his eyes, “we’re going to Tatooine.  Oh, and it’s 15,000 credits per gram on the spice currently.  It depends on the market, but it’s looking like the price is going to drop any day now, don’t ask how I know.”  He slowly got it up off the floor.  _Dex can be very useful_ , he thought, _ugh why are the letters fuzzy?_   He squinted as he walked towards the door.

Quinlan raised his brown eyebrows and nodded.  “I’ll see you in a bit, remember Obes, _ride or die_.”

“Ride or die, Quin.”  A blush coated Obi-Wan’s face, his voice was high as he promptly clicked off his comm.  _Why does he have to bring that up?_   He sighed.  His steps echoed off the grey hallways.

* * *

 

Obi-Wan could feel Master Azranna’s hazel eyes bore into his soul.  Quinlan’s hand rested heavy on his shoulder.

“Please Master Azranna," he said, his voice was pleading, "it's our last chance to save the galaxy as we know it from all-out war, _please.”_

Her eyes narrowed, her grey robes and headscarf shifting like silk as she turned away.  "Fine,” her voice was like _ice_.  “I will file the paperwork and you will bring the child to me once you arrive back if I hear even a whisper that you did _not_ immediately come back I will report this to the council.  You will keep in contact with me throughout the entire mission, you will follow the regulations to the letter or you will not just have the council to deal with, _do I make myself clear?”_

"Yes, ma'am." Both boys chorused, Obi-wan swallowed hard.  Both had their heads bowed, down on one knee, posture as if they were speaking to a queen.

She turned around and cupped their faces hazel eyes thawed. “Good, and Obi-Wan dear please get some sleep.  If any other visions arise come to me immediately, Qui-Gon is ill-prepared to handle such things." She has both hands on his face now, raising his head gently. “What the older project, the younger imitate, you are already connected to this child.  Don’t strain him any further.”  Her hands were warm, and the fine lines on her tattooed face crinkled with concern. “Now rise, you are a man no need to prostrate yourself.”  The force was heavy in her voice.  

Her hands grabbed the box of tea on the wooden desk, light filtering through the windows, making her robes appear almost green from the early morning light.

"Yes, Mo-Master,” the old habit of calling her _mom_ almost taking over, memories of a simpler time where she would let him sit on her lap as Quinlan ran around pretending to be a piolet.  He would ask in a small voice, _mom can we practice lightsabers today?_  She would laugh and say, _of course, little one, and remember it’s ‘Master’ in front of the council_. “Of course,” he said, almost falling over as he stood.  At the weight of her suggestion.  Whether he was responding to the memory or the current situation he couldn’t tell.

Quinlan steadied him and they headed toward the hanger bay through the white halls.


End file.
